Fold-presser for folding-machines.



W. F. LAUTENSCHLAGER.

FOLD PRESSER FOR FOLDING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1916.

1,206,762. PaterltedNov. 28,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. LAUTE'NSCHLAGER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LORENZ MU'JTHER,

V 01: NEWTON, MAfiSAGHUSETIS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM F. LAUTEN- QOIILAGER a citizen of the United States, residing in Cincinnati, in the count of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fold Pressers for Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying the same and forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in ,fold pressers for folding machines, such as arev used to fold over the edgesof sheet material, andparticularly the edgesof boot and shoe parts. r

' The objects of. my invention are as follows :-To so construct and arrange the fold presser surfaces of fold pressers that the pressing operation will be accomplished progressively; 2'. 6., so that one portion of the fold pressing surface will extend across the folded edge and a part of thewidth of the folded over edge and press the same, and the remainder of the fold presser surface will ektend fully across the fold. There will thus be What may be termeda preliininary pressing and a complete pressing of the folded edgeat each operation of the fold-presser.

Another object of my invention is to so form and arrange the foldresser with rela tion to-the other parts of a. folding machine so as. to increase the distance as much as possible between the point where the turning operation commenced" on the edge and the point Where the fold is completely folded over and pressed down and thereby prevent strain on the edge of the work and consequent puckering of the material at the foldedline. This form and arrangement of the fold-presser results in the completed fold presenting a smooth surface on both sides of the material contiguous to the fold line.

Another object of my invention is to. provide a fold-pressing surface which is capable of an adjustment approximately lOIlglj tudinally of-the fold-presser so that it may be adjusted in its extended position when convex curves are being folded, and returned to its withdrawn position, when straight edges are being folded. The purpose of this adjustment will he more fully pointed out in the specification and appear from. the drawings accompanying the same.

The purposes of, or results to be accom- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application 11155 June 2c, 1916. Serial No. 105,929.

plished, by providing for a. preliminary presslng of the folded edge and thereafter a complete pressing, stand out more clearly when material having straight edges are being folded over. In such cases there is a strain on the edge being folded over due to the fact that the said edge tends to occupy a greater length during the turning opera-= tion than it occupies when the material is lying; fiat, as will clearly appear from the rawings and description.

Other objects of my inventi on will appear from the description. contained in this specification.

.111 the drawings which, accompany this specification and form a part thereof-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a folding inachine such as is more fully illustrated in the application for a patent executed by me on. even date herewith, Serial No. 105,930, filed June 26, 1916, and in which is more fully illustrated and described the operating mechanism of the folding machine; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken through line 22 Fig. 1; Fig 3 is a plan view of the top of the fold presser, a section of the ma terial. being folded, and a section of the Iiiearing on which the fold presscr pivoted; and Fig. is a plan View similar to the one shown in Fig. 3, but showing a different position of the fold-presser' surfaces;

r'. a, with the fold-presser surfaces extended in the position they occupy when folding the convex curved edge of a piece of material.

In thedrawing, ,1 represents the foldpr'esser, and 2 a bushing which is secured in an elongated hole in the fold-presser,

which bushing is mounted on the bearing used to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 5.

The foid-presscr 1 is provided with a movable fold-pressing surface 7.. This foldpressing surface 7 is rectangular in form, as

indicated in Fig. 2, so as to embrace the end 'of the fold-presser 1 and is held in position by the screws 8 and 9 which pass through .slotted holes 8 and 9*, as shown in Figs.

3 and ii the slot 8 being in the end of the fold-Presser 1 and the slot 9 in the extension 13 of the presser surface 7.' This method of mounting the presser surface 7 on the foldresser 1 permits of an endwise movement of the fold-presser surface 7 ap- -proximately longitudinally of the fold presser 1 for the purpose of adjustment.-

The fold-presser surface 7 is held in an inward position, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of a spring 11, the end 12 of which is bent fd'ownwardly and is inserted in a hole in the foldresser Land the end 14 bent upwardly and inserted in,the pressing surface 7 so that the tension of the spring 11 will normally hold the fold-presser surface in an inward position, as shown in Fig. 3.

In using the term normal position I wish it'understood that this term is intended to beused in connection with the positioning of the fold-presser 7 as illustrated in the drawings. It may be desirable, however,

to have the fold-presser surface held normally in extended position, or outward as shown. in Fig. 1. This would occur in cases where convex surfaces were being folded to alarger extent than straightportions;

and insuch case the spring 11 would be arranged for moving andholding the foldpresser surface 7 in its outward or extended position when curved portions were being folded. The fold-presser surface 7 is provided with a rear curving portion 15 which is curved on a circle, 'the'centerof 'which is located at the axis of the bearing 3, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the rocking movement of the fold-presser 1 produced through its connection with the pivot-point 16, the L-shaped rocker-lever 17 and the pivot 18, which is the upturned end 25against the downturned portion 15 of the pressing surface 7 so as to move it transversely against the tension of the spring 11 and so as to extend and hold said fold-pressing surface. outwardly, as

shown in Fig. 4. VVh'en pressure of the end 25 of the lever 22 is released from the downturned end 15 the spring llimmediately returns the fold-pressing surface '7 to the position as shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement allows the operator to extend or permit the withdrawal of the foldresser 7 at will so that said fold presser surface 7 may be used in a withdrawn position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, where'straight portions of the edge are being folded, and at will extend. and hold said fold-presser surface 7 in such extended positionswhenever and for as long a period as desired, or when curved portions, particularly convex curved portions are being folded, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

My fold-presser lfis used in conjunction with feeding means for feeding the material progressively step-by-step and its use is not limitedto any particular type of feeding means. In the drawings accompanying this specification, 26'is the feed-foot for feeding the material progressively step-by-step and is such as is described in my application of evendate herewith, Serial No. 105,930, filed June 26, 1916; and 27 is the presser-foot, and 28 the lower idler block, as illustrated in said application. Furthermore, the operating parts for the feed-foot, the presserfoot, and the fold-presser illustrated herein, as .well as tl1B.0tllI parts, are as described in my said application of even date herewith. I may employ in connection with my fold-presser, slitting means, not shown, of any of the usual types employed in folding machines.

In the drawing Fig. 3,.the fold-presser surface is'shown' as operating to fold a straight edge, and the material 29 is being folded over as at 30. The portion of the edge liable to strain and stretching lies between the point 31 where the fold commences, and the point 32 where the fold and pressing operations are first fully completed. If a line was drawn through the point 32, and perpendicular to the fold line 36, it would be observed that the distance between the points 31 and 32 is greater than the distance between the point 31 and where the said perpendicular line would intersect the fold-line 36. This increase of distance is what produces strain and stretching of the edge. Any construction of .a folding machine and its folding elements, whereby the distanceis increased between the point where the fold vcommences and -.where it is fully completed, as between the points 31 and 32,

will lessen the. strain and stretching.

' It is further desirable to first press down that part of the fold near the fold-line. By doing so it tends to prevent puckering at the fold-line, which is very undesirable, By

having the end of the pressing surfaces stepped, preferably as shown at 34 and 35, it

results in pressing the part of the fold under the surface 34 in advance of the completion of the pressing operation by the pressing surface 35.

, It willbe uiiiderstood that it is usual to coat the contact surfaces of the fold previous to the folding operation So'the folded-over portion will adhere to the body of the material as the fold-pressing operation is pet formed. l'sually a 't'olding or edge-turning lJlUt'k is used to turn over theedge to he folded.

In Fig. 4. my fold-presser is illustrated as folding and pressing a convex curved edge of material, and the pressing surfaces 7 shown as adjusted to its extended position. To fold convex curves it is necessary to extend the foldpressing surface 7 hecause the curved edge 3H drawsfmvay from the pressing surface as it is folded and the foldpressing surface T would not reach fully across the fold unless it wasmoved to its extended position.

My invention as illustrated and described in the drawings and the specitivation directed lJl(Iiltll- \-t0 the ftilld-pressing means and the extensihle foldpresser surface with or Without the plurality of steps. as shown. I do not limit myself to the exact form of the parts of the fold-presser and foldpi-esser-sui-faces. or to the exact arrangement of the, parts. or arrangement of the adjusting mechanism.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a folding machine. means for feedin; and means for folding over the edge of sheet material, and a fold-presser for pressing down the folded edge having. a fold-pressing surface adjustahly mounted thereon and arranged to he adjusted approximately longitudinally of the fold-presser and approximately laterally across the line of fold.

2. In a folding machine. means for feeding and means for folding over the edge of sheet material, a fold-presser for pressing the folded edge having a fold-pressing sin"- face adjustably mounted thereon and arranged to be adjusted approximatel longitudinally of the fold-presser; and means for moving the fold-pressing surface into its adjusted position. 1

3. In a folding machine, a fold-turning hloclt, and a foldpresser for pressing the folded edge having an adjustable foldpresser surface adjustable approximately longitudinallv. of the fold-presser.

4. In a folding machine. means for folding: over the edge of sheet material, and a fold;pres er having an adjustable stepped fold-presser surface adjustable approximately longitudinally of the fOlGl'HBSFPY for pressing down the folded edge.

I. In a folding machine. means for turnlug; over the edge of sheet material. a foldiresser havin an ad'ustahle toldno..-

' formed and arranged sothat it can he moved longitudinally in order that a portion of said fold-pressersurface will progressively press the hight if the fold and a portion of its Width and the remainder of said press v ing surface will progressively press the full width of the folded over edge.

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntosetmy hand, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this the 13th day of June, A. D. 1 916.

'ILLIAM F. LAUTENwflLAGER.

i \Vitnesses ,R. P. Emaorr,

H M. Knnso.

Corrections In Letters Patent No.1,206. 762.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,206,782, granted November 28, 1916, upon the application of Wihiam F. Lautenschlager, of Cincinnnti, Ohio, for an improvement in "Fold-Pressure for Folding-Machines," errors appear in the printed speeifitntion requlring correction as follows: Page 2, line 73, for the. word positions? read position; page 3, line 80, claim 7, for the word "3 read of; end thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that. the

same may conform to the record of the case iii the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of December, A. D., 1916.

R. WHITEHEA D,

Acting fi'ommiln'oner of Patents.

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